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‘The Voter Suppression Trail’

By CHRIS BAKER,
BRIAN MOORE and
MIKE LACHERNOV. 3, 2016

Find out if your vote can survive the great, flawed adventure of American democracy.

Note to viewers: “The Voter Suppression Trail” is the first-ever video game for Op-Docs, and also the final installment of our series of Op-Docs about the 2016 election. We hope you enjoy playing, and let us know what you think in the comments. —The Editors

In the 1800s, Americans made heroic journeys to settle in the West. These journeys inspired the classic computer game “The Oregon Trail,” beloved by grade school students across the country in the 1980s and ’90s.

On Nov. 8, a new generation of Americans will make their own heroic journeys — to the polls. Some paths will be more intrepid than others, particularly for blacks, Latinos and pretty much anyone who brings the kind of diversity to our polling places that they have historically lacked. Thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, the perils will be great. Long lines and voter ID laws, not to mention pro-Trump election observers, will try to keep these voters from the polls.

To celebrate these journeys, we’ve created a video game: “The Voter Suppression Trail.” Play as a white programmer from California, a Latina nurse from Texas, or a black salesman from Wisconsin. Experience the thrill of standing in line for hours at your understaffed polling place! Try to surmount voter ID laws! Avoid intimidation by Donald Trump’s election observers! Will you fend off the rhetoric of angry election “observers,” or heed calls from your boss and get out of line, or will you experience the fulfilling patriotic reward of casting a provisional ballot that will probably never be counted? Find out — play now!

Chris Baker, Brian Moore and Mike Lacher are the creators of GOP Arcade, a series of satirical video games about the 2016 presidential election.